Fence-weaving machine.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 "l' ...1l a."

. INVENTOR- PATENTED SEPT. G. P. A. WEISBNBORN. 8' 1908 2 M 2, A n Mw. 1. A G m mm F m m A m r, m m um.. um d, y 7 J @l p WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

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:M J 4 mm @EN Ml@ No. 998,294. y PATENTED SEPT. 9, 1909.

G. P. A. WEISENBORN.

FENCE WEAVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I u' l l l l ATTORNEY.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

GEORGE P. A. WEISENBORN, OF CLARENCE, MISSOURI.

v FENCE-WEAVING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. A. WEIsEN- BORN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Clarence, in the county of Shelby and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'inFence-leaving Machines, and l do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to machines for weaving wire fencing either onthe ground 1 5 where it is to be used or in factories, the in- 2o anismfor operating the twisters, and to the wire tighteners and adjusters,the object of the invention being to improve the above mentionedfeatures of fence weaving machines, particularly to provide twistingmechanism which may be operated with the least expenditure of energy soas to be adaptable for hand operation, a further object also being toprovide an improved machine of the above-mentioned character which maybe constructed with few positively-operating parts having greatdurability and which may be cheaply repaired, and be economical in use.

uWith the above-mentioned and minor objects in view the inventioncomprises certain novel features of construction in fence weavingmachines, in a novel form of twistinghead, and in the parts andcombinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter pario ticularlydescribed andvreferred to in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of awire fence in process of construction with the improved weaving machinein connection therewith Fig. 2, an elevation of the machine showing thefollowing side thereof, Fig. 3, a fragmentary elevation of the machineshowing the middle portion thereof at the side at 5o which it isoperated; Fig. 4, a fragmentary elevation showing the side lopposite tothat illustrated in the preceding figure; Fig. 5, a fragmentaryelevation showing the advance side of the middle portion of the machineFig. 6, a side elevation' of one of'the wire tighteners, of which aportion is broken Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 22, 1907.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 384,947.

away g Fig. 7, a fragmentary sectional view of the tightener on the lineA-A in Fig. 6, Fig. 8, a horizontal sectional view on the line B-B inFig. 5; Fig. 9, a horizontal sectional view on the line C-C in Fig. '5,looking upward; Fig. 10, an enlarged sectional view on the line D-D inFig. 5; Fig. 11, a sectional view of the twisting head with partsthereof omitted Fig. 12, a plan view of the inner side of the mainportion of a twister head Fig. 13, a plan view of the inner side of thefollower plate comprising a part of the twisting head; Fig. 14, afragmentary top plan of a power machine showing the improvements adaptedto be used in connection therewith; and, Fig. 15, a fragmentary sideelevation of the power machine and improvements connected therewith.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawingsdesignate corresponding elements or features of construction.

ln the drawings 1 designates a fence post; 2, a standard comprising apart of the weaving apparatus for supporting the wires while beingtwisted at the places where the fence is to be erected; 3 and 4designate the strands to be twisted to form the line wires of thefencing; 5, the wire tigliteners; 6, the tension adjusters; 7, thecomplete line wires composed of two twisted strands each, and 8, thestay rods or pickets.

The machine proper comprises a main frame member 9 which is preferablycomposed of channel iron of suitable length to be used in uprightposition when building fencing on the ground, or horizontally whenconnected with a power machine. For portable use the main framecomprises also two rods 1() and 11 which are attached to the member 9and extend convergently and are attached vat their ends to a guide bar12 which is suit-.

ably connected slidingly with two pairs of the wire strands, for guidingthe machine uprightly, and preventing the member 9 from turningrotatively. The member 9 has a suitable number of bolt holes 13 toreceive securing bolts whereby a suitable number of housings as 14 and15 are removably secured thereto, the housings supporting the twistingheads and also operating mechanism thereof. The housings are allsubstantially alike except that they are preferably constructed in righthand and left hand pairs so as to better accommodate the operatingmechanism of the twisting heads, and as will be understood the housingsmay be shifted to different positions on the member 9 so that the spacesbetween fence wires may be made greater or less as may be desired, andobviously a greater or less number of housings may be mounted on themember 9 so as to twist as many line wires as may be required. Eachhousing comprises an annular main portion in which a twisting head ismounted rotatively.

Each twisting head comprises a main member 16y having a ournal bearing16 that rotates in the annular portion of a housing, the twisting headhaving a follower 17 which serves to retain the twisting head on itsbearing, the twisting head being provided with peripheral slanting gearteeth 18 adapted to be engaged by a worm gear for driving the twistinghead, the two parts of the twisting head being secured togetherdetachably by screws 19. The main part 16 of each twisting head has twoguide openings 20 and 21 preferably communicating one with another, andthe follower plate 17 has similar registering guide openings 20 and 21through which the wire strands extend as usual while being twisted. Themain part has a central hemispherical socket bearing 22, and thefollower plate has a corresponding bearing 23 in which is a hard steelball 24 fitting closely therein between the two members of the twistinghead but capable of rotative movement. At opposite sides of the openingsare smaller socket bearings 25 and 26 in which are balls 27 and 28 andother sockets 29 and 30 in which are balls 31 and 32, so that the ballsat the sides of the guide openings extend slightly beyond the walls ofthe openings, and therefore the wires which extend through the openingswhile being twisted together must bear against the ball 24 and thesmaller balls at the sides of the guide openings. These balls are veryhard so that they will not wear away rapidly, and there being only smallportions thereof in contact with the wires,

will not produce as much friction as therev would be where the wires asheretofore vbear on larger surfaces of ordinarily soft metal. Also inoperation the balls shift more or less rotatively and present newsurfaces to the wires. When finally becoming worn too much for use theymay readily be removed and replaced by new ones at small cost, thereforeobviating the necessity as heretofore, of discarding the twisting headmember in which the guide openings are formed:

A shaft 33 is mounted rotatively in all of the housings, as 14 and 15and has a suitable number of worms as 34 secured by a set screw 35 and aworm 36 likewise secured to the shaft in contact with portions of thehousing whereby the shaft is guided against longitudinal movements, theworms being substantially alike except that the threads are pitchedoppositely so as to be right and 'factories to be rolled for shi ment.

wheel 38 being provided with a driving crank 40 by which the shaft 33may be rotated in either direction. The member 9 is provided with ahandle 41 to be used in handling and operating the machine. A suitablenumber of spreaders 42 are used as usual on the wire strands in advanceof the machine when building fencing on the ground.

The main frame member 9 supporting the twisters and operating mechanismthereof may be suitably connected with various ower machines for weavingthe fencing in Portions of a well knownv type o machine are illustratedin which 43 is the main frame, and

44 a shaft mounted rotatively thereon for operating the twisting heads,this shaft being driven alternately in op osite directions by means ofbevel gear whee s 45 and 46 secured to the shaft and engaged alternatelyby a quadrant of gear teeth 47 on a drive wheel 48, as will be clearlyunderstood. The shaft 44 is provided with a worm gear 49 engaging a gearwheel 50 suitably supported which in turn drives a gear wheel 51 thatengages a gear wheel 52 which is secured to the rotative shaft 33 havingworms 34 and 36 thereonv whereby the twisting heads hereinbeforedescribed are operated. Of course different driving and reversinggearing than that mentioned may be employed and the power machineotherwise may be variously constructed, the operations of such machinesbeing well understood in general.

Each wire tightener 5 which may be suiti ably attached to the standard 2has two journal bearings 53 and 54, and also a pocket 55 in which is asteel ball 56 ada ted to be shifted or to move therein, the bal normallyfalling by gravity to the lower portion of the pocket, the outer wall ofwhich is inclined, so that the ball will gravitate towards the axis ofthe bearings in which is mounted a rotative spindle 57 having a hole 58therein, there being a wheel 59 secured to the spindle and havingsemicircular notches 60 in its periphery to be engaged by the ball 56 toprevent retraction of the spindle, the arrangement being such that whenthe spindle is turned in one direction the ballwill be pushed upward inthe pocket and outwardly clear of the wheel by portions thereof betweenthe notches, vand after being thus pushed upward the ball will fall sothat when the wheel turns in a reverse direction slightly it will bestopped and held by the ball engaging one of the notches 60 while theball rests against the opposing wall of the pocket in which it ishoused. A suitable number of wires 61 are connected to the adjusters 6and also to the spindles of the wire tighteners, so that after the wirestrands 3 and 4 are connected to an adjuster 6 and tightened by turningthe spindle 57, if either strand be found to be too tight relatively tothe companion strand it may be slackened at its connection with theadjuster 6, and then both strands may be tightened evenly by furthermanipulation of the tightener, and obviously the dierent pairs ofstrands may be tightened uniformly y manipulating the tighteners.

In practical use the improved machine may be arranged in the usualmanner as indicated hereinbefore, and the crank 40 is to be o eratedfirst in one direction and then in t e reverse direction for twistingthe different line wires -in opposite directions and reversed betweeneach two stay rods or pickets as is customary, all ofthe connectionsbetween the crank 40 and the twisting heads being direct and positive,and in view of the worm gearing the operations will be smooth andpowerful, requirlng the minimum amount of manual force and eliminatingthe lost motion and consequent loss of energy. Also as will be seen themachine is devoid of drive chains which in other machines become cloggedwith soil in handling the machines in iields and cause trouble inkeeping them clean.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Afence-weaving machine including a twisting-head comprising a main memberand a follower secured detachably together with guide-openings therein,a dividing bearing ball mounted between the main member and the followerand between the guideopenings, and two pairs of bearing balls mounted atopposite sides of the dividing bearing ball between the main member andthe follower, each pair of balls being at opposite sides of an opening.

2. A fence-weaving machine including a main frame member composed ofchannel iron having two flanges, the member having a plurality of holestherein between the anges, a plurality of housings mounted on the framemember and seated thereon between the iianges thereof, each housinghaving an annular main portion, bolts extending through the holes andsecuringthe housings to the member against the flanges thereof, twistingheads comprising each a main member having a journal-bearing mountedrotatively in the annular portion of a housing, the twistinghead havinga follower plate that is detachably secured to the main member thereofand retains the main member on its bearing, said main member of thetwisting-head having gear teeth thereon and having also guideopeningstherein, said follower plate also having guide-openings thereinregistering with the guide-openings of the main member of thetwisting-head, a shaft mounted in the housings, and worms securedadjustably on the shaft and engaging the gear teeth of thetwisting-heads.

3. A fence-weaving machine including a main frame member having twoopposite iianges, a plurality of right-hand and lefthand housingsarranged in reverse order alternately and secured adjustably to theframe member and seated against said flanges, each housing being securedby a single bolt and having an annular main portion, twisting-headscomprising each a main member having a journal-bearing mountedrotatively in the annular portion of the housing, and a follower platesecured detachably to the main member and retaining the same on itsbearing, said main member having gear teeth thereon and having alsoguide-openings therein, said follower plate also having guideopeningstherein registering with the guideopenings of the main member of thetwistinghead, a shaft mounted rotatively in the housings, and wormssecured adjustably on the shaft and engaging the gear teeth of thetwisting-heads, alternate worms being reversed and engaging oppositesides of the different adjacent housings and preventing longitudinalmovements of the shaft.

4. In a fence-weaving machine, the combination of a main frame member, aplurality of housings mounted on the frame member and having each anannular portion, twisting heads comprising each a main part that has a journal-bearing which is mounted in the annular portion of a housing, anda follower plate secured removably to the main part, said main parthaving gear teeth thereon and having also two guide-openings therein anda hemispherical socket-bearing between the two guide-openings, saidfollower plate having two guide openings and also a hemisphericalsocket-bearing between the two guideopenings, a ball in saidhemispherical socketbearings 5 a shaft mounted in the housings, andwormssecured to the shaft and engaging the gear teeth of thetwisting-heads.

5. In a fence-weaving machine, a twistinghead comprising two partssecured detachably together, each part having two guideopenings thereinand a socket-bearing at each side of each guide-opening, and also arelatively larger central socket-bearing between the two guide-openings,a dividing ball bearing in said central socket-bearings, and four ballsin the socket-bearings that are at the sides of said guide-openings.

In testimony whereof, I afIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE P. A. WEISENBORN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SrLvrUs.

